I Didn't Mean to
by Madwoman with a box
Summary: Alice isn't done trying to break her sister. Sweet Rabbit and company had best watch out, because the Hatter's out for blood even if Alice isn't. Sequel to From the Desk of Dr. Arkham, torture,character death,
1. Chapter1:The Milliner and the Seamstress

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that DC created, nor do I own Colorful/Erin. Half the time I don't even own what Alice says.

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_*Flashback*_

_I'm burning, and it hurts so bad. I want to lash out at Colorful and Dodge. If I make some one else scream, and they feel the pain it goes away. If I hurt them I won't know how to get out and I'll die. So then I can't hurt them, and I don't really want to. Dodge is my brother and I love him and Erin too. When I feel the burning I have to kill though, and that drives me mad. I have to kill and then I won't feel the pain and everything will go numb. It burns even though the flames on my skin are out. Yet I can't hurt them, because if I do I really will just be a Freak. We have to get out. Are we almost there? I can hear the biulding falling down. My mind isn't working like it should, because I've only just remebered that Alice pushed me. I still can't breathe, and I'm more scared than I've ever been. Things are falling around me and something hits Dodge I think because he yells and lets go of my arm. I pull away from Colorful and hold out my hands trying to find him the only way I can. There's flames on my hands and I want to run but I need to find Dodge. I find his hand, and pull. I know it's him I remember running pulling it like now, except then the air was cool and now it's stiflingly hot. Colorful says something about fire covering the door way out. I'm trying carry Dodge, but I don't think I can. I'm scared, and I can't see. Colorful grabs my arm and says that the second story is gong to fall in. We're running again and the air burns for a second and then it is blissfully cool. I want to ask whether we've died because I still can't tell where we are, but I'm tired and the air feels good here... I'll just sleep for a few minutes... a few minutes... just a few..._

*End Flashback*

After that I was in the hospital and I don't remember much. Except they said lots about my eyes and they kept giving me medicines that gave me wierd dreams. Dodge says I look like Harvey Dent, and that he does too. I can tell I messed up my hands too but they'll get better, all of us pretty much messed up our hands. Colorful's face is okay though, I wouldn't know really. Mom visits sometimes, dad can't of course. Mom visits him too, He's still crazy so everything is fine. Dodge doesn't want to go back home with Mom, says that he'd much rather live at the warehouse. She'll kill us when she finds out. I can' go home with her though. All of my scars still burn and I need to make it go away. I think Dodge feels it too, so maybe we can be Song and Silence again that was fun. I'll make him like me, I hope whatever god there is can forgive me for that. I think he will, he has no right to damn me for it. He doesn't know how it feels to still feel the pain after the wound heals. Hell'd be fun any way, I'd probably get to be some sort of devil since I've killed so many people. Ellda the sister of Berith, princess of the Cherubim tempting mortals to commit homicide, what a thought...sounds like fun.

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" I must break the Batterwock,_ But Alice, you cannot do such without the vorpal blade_, _as is said in the books_. Has Hatter a suggestion as to where to find said blade? Hmmm? I thought not." Alice muttered to her self as she pushed peices of cloth through a sewing machine, " _I know not know where to get the blade, but I know to get it you will need help. _From who?_ Who-ever. Look outside Alice, children with nothing like you were once desp_- Like **we** were- _of course. They are desperate, and you have everything they hunger for and more_."

Alice hid a smile, best to not show emotions when negotioating, " And of the ones who are noble and choose to follow the Red King? I show them my home and they'd betray it perhaps? Like March tried to. _Alice the sweet rabbit is near broken and I can still make hats you know. Lovely hats to twist the mind._ So, I need to find runnaways? _Now you're talking Alice, finish up this and get ssome of my hats. And take tea and scones, we might not be back by teatime_."

Alice turned of the sewing machine, she was done any way. This peice had gotten quite easy to finish by now, A simple blue dress with a white pinafore. The last one had been given to the talking flower before she died. It didn't matter one Alice was as good as the next, and there were plenty more of them to go through. She put the dress on a hanger and hung it in a small closet in the empty tailor shop. Before she went to get the hats she looked over a red ball gown. If it was ever going to fit the Queen of Hearts she had in mind it would have to be made much bigger. This one had been sewn for a ten year old. That would be done later. She had to do something now, something about cats, or rats, maybe bats... No It was hats! She needed to get hats for... for what again?

"_To brainwash the noble ones into helping you find the vorpal blade, can't you remember anything_? Well it's difficult With all the details Hatter!" Alice pouted, it really was depressing to be berated by someone living in your head, "You don't even pay rent. _I help you remember everything that should count!"_

Alice rolled her eyes and pulled her own hat on before going to dig up her wagon full of hats. Something else too...bees and bones? Or cheese and cones maybe?

"_Tea and scones, Alice._ That's what I meant."


	2. Chapter2: Minds at War

"You know, little girl, you remind me of some one we've read about. You have such nice hair, I think it would look sort of golden if you washed it. What's your name?" Alice asked sitting down next to a hungry looking ten year old.

"You don't need to know. Tell me who you are first." The girl answered defiantly.

Alice smiled," I'm Alice, and you're hungry. Let me see...here have a scone."

The girl stared at the pastry Alice was holding for a moment before grabbing it and attempting to stuff all of it in her mouth.

"Great wonderland girl, you're going to choke. When was he last time you ate?" Alice asked genuinely concerned.

The girl shrugged thinking about the question while she chewed," Couple of days I think. My name's Lizzie, can I have another cake?"

Alice chuckled, "Lizzie, sweety, you haven't finished the first one. Why don't you come with me to my house and you can have all the scones you want?"

Lizzie thought about it for minute, still eating the scone. She really had no idea how she would get her next meal otherwise. And if she did get another one, chances where a bigger or smarter kid would take it from her. Lizzie nodded and Alice smiled. Hatter was right, these children were desperate. The type of hungry Alice hadn't known for years, when there really was just Alice. Before there was Hatter and after she had ran away. No one to talk to or care about, not to mention no food either. Alice thought, but that was then and this is now. And now there was Hatter and so far seven sweet children to share tea with. Hatter liked the kids too at least Alice thought so, Hatter wasn't talking much.

'_Would you like me to talk?' _Hatter whispered in Alice's ear

Later ,not now, Besides you can do whatever in wonderland you want to do tomorrow, Alice thought.

_'I could do whatever I want today you know...'_

Alice shook her head, trying to clear away the voice. She started walking back to her tailor shop pulling her wagon full of hats behind her. Hatter wouldn't dare trying to push her out of her own body. Not that he could, it was a matter of will power and how attached someone is to living. And Alice was very attatched. What if the Hatter could do such a thing, not that he would of course, but what would happen to her if he did? He certainly couldn't keep it up forever if her own mentality was fighting his, unless he decided to go and get meds to supress her mentality. She shuddered, and decided to stop think about it. No use dwelling on what scares you and wouldn't happen anyway. The Hatter however was very fond of the subject. He had been turning it around for sometime without telling Alice. The girl was so full of herself, she really expected that she could keep her own mind properly when if he wasn't around she couldn't even remember her own name. She didn't even realize all of what she had done, or rather what he had done. She hadn't known why she was in court, or even that the sweet rabbit had been around the house for two years. Hatter had simply insisted that he deal with the court, and alice didn't know how to exist properly in her subconscious. And the silly girl really thought that she could hold her own against him. Enough of that for now though, might as well figure out what he was going to do tomorrow. The foremost thing on mind was the rabbit, Alice's Little March. This could be fun, absolutely frabjous.

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Ellda was done sitting around in the hospital. She pushed herself off of the starchy white sheets and felt around on the floor for the pair of sneakers her mother had insisted on bringing, along with a...white dress. Ellda sighed, her mother was really not going to get over that she was sixteen. I don't look all that young, she thought running her hands over the burned corner of her face by her eyes. They had to cut out one of her eyes it had been so burned. The dress was better than the hospitals one however, so she slipped it on and stuffed a sheet of newspaper in one of her shoes. Ellda shifted her foot around, usually she like her shoes a bit larger so the one wouldn't be so tight. She supposed it was the thought that counted however. Ellda walked over to the door and as she was looking for the handle, it opened knocking her over.

"Erin, god damn. You coulda broke my nose. Was that necessary?"

"I feel like I should tell you the truth and say no, but I'm going to say yes." Dodge answered, "You're senses are really off."

"Well no duh. I burned half of my face trying to save a smart aleck brother." Ellda snapped, " Let's go before mom finds out we're leaving."

"Why are we leaving?"

" I have a question, do the meds still work?"

"What? What do you mean-"

"Do the painkillers, kill pain?"Ellda asked slowly as though speaking to some one very young.

"Well...no, not, not really."

"Not really or not at all?"

"The second one.

"Right, I've been told it's a type of OCD. Possibly something to do with genetics. I used to be able to take very very long showers and it would go away. But you only do that so many times before you start bleeding. Currently we don't need that, but we should have a certain amount of soap on hand any ways. I don't like OCD meds, they make me really depressed and then I need more medication and that makes me sick and that's another medication I'd have to take. To many people are medicated anyway. Simple solution to a complicated problem, hurt people and it goes away." Ellda finished standing up and walking out the door.

"Wait, what? Did you just say that-" Dodge asked as he started to follow her

"There's a glass eye on the bedside table, bring it with you please." Ellda called from the hallway.

"Hmm? Oh sure, but really hurting people?" Dodge continued after grabbing the eyeball and running after her.

"Do you have an issue with my lifestyle? Or are you mad because I wanted you to carry my eye?"

"No, but this is very sudden. I have OCD and...things, issues in my head or whatever. Are you sure?"

"I should be, where's Colorful?"

"Lobby talking to mom. You said something about soap?"

"I will explain everything, are we on the first floor? If so help me find a window, and not in the lobby. Have you still got my eye?" Ellda asked turning down a random hallway.

"Yes, there's a window about twenty five feet forward to you left, and yes."

Ellda found the window and waited for Dodge to catch up. She turned around abruptly and grabbed Dodge's shoulders.

"Oh lovely, you're not wearing one of those horid hospital gowns." She said simply before pushing him back a few feet.

"What are you doing? There are people coming and...You just threw a chair through the window."

"You got a better idea? Let's go!" Ellda said climbing through the window and ripping her dress in the proccess

Dodge sighed but followed her through the window muttering, "Mom is going to kill us."


	3. Chapter3: Hostile Takeover

"Alice? Could I have a tart please?" Lizzie asked peering around the door.

Alice had managed to make her take a bath the previous night, the sweet girl had been very opposed to the idea. She'd liked it after wards when she was clean however. Alice had been right she did have really magnificent hair, and Alice had given her the blue dress she made. The girl was absolutely adorable in her opinion. That, however, was yesterday and this was today.

The Hatter smiled poisonously at Lizzie who didn't notice, "Of course sweetheart, but first, I've got a giftie for you."

The Hatter pulled her hat on a little tighter before reaching out to clip a necklace around the girls neck. The girl who had been so vibrant before was now blissfully empty. The hatter would never understand how Alice could get lonely. Or feel so warm and fuzzy about children. Zombies, were better. Controllable, and somewhat innocent. Now that the girl was gone Hatter went back to work, so much to plan so little time. She picked up the tweeezers again examining the microchip. They were getting so small these days, she thought proudly until she was rudely interrupted.

'Why do you think of yourself as a she? You're a male.' Alice thought, The Hatter cursed, in her moment of happiness she had begun to use the conscious of the mind laying her thoughts out as though on a billboard.

"_In your twisted mind yes, that is how you picture me. However I am a female, because you are."_

_'_It's still my mind, so you're still a boy.' Alice continued firmly.

_"Is that so? Then I suppose my balls just fell off and ran away?" _

'You needn't be vulgar.' Alice replied trying not to giggle.

"_Shut up and go away, Genius cannot be created under stress."_

The Hatter mentally blocked off Alice from the rest of her mind. However small the chip was it needed to work. A chip to keep away Alice, pushing her back as far as she would go. Alice would become the alter ego, and Hatter would be in control. She needed a test subject, some one with a violent alter ego that would at least try not to strangle her. Some one who was as much of a genius as her. She started working on another chip while she thought back as far as she could, four years. Something had scared Alice from an unstable mind into two unstable minds. Alice had repressed the memory so it had gone solely to Hatter. Everything that scared Alice had become Hatter. Hatter smiled she knew who to test the chip on. It hadn't been Alice specifically he had wanted to scare, rather the entire city. And she was sure that he would not object to aquiring a certain couple of lab rats if she worded it the right way. From what the Sweet Rabbit had told her she hadn't been very nice to Dr. Crane, and if he was anything like the Hatter he wouldn't hesitate to have the Rabbit smacked around a bit. She had been planning this for a while it would all go frabjously, and besides, there were a few other people she wanted to get out of Arkham any way.

_"Alice how long have you been out of mind?" _Hatter asked curiously.

'I've no idea, why is it my turn?'

_' No in fact you've got quite a while, it hasn't even been five minutes yet."_ The Hatter glanced at the clock on the wall of her workshop, about ten hours had passed since she had taken control. She'd figured Alice wouldn't know how to tell time without eyes, "_You just rest I've got some things to do."_

The Hatter grabbed her long blue coat on the way out and using the device placed just in the rim of her hat, had Lizzie get the other children all nice and under control. She felt in the poket for a cd she had made, A giftie for another doctor.

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Jeremiah frowned as he went over the files that had been posted over the last few years. The girl had managed to bypass his security and change the files directly on his hard drive, and then she had gone and password encrypted them. He had acquired better security but it was still going to be a while before his files had stopped translating themselves into Frank Beddor stories. The worst part of all this was that none of it made sense. Alice, though perhaps not thoroughly obsessed, was quite a fan of Lewis Carroll. She had expressed almost open disdain for the Looking Glass Wars, saying it as a mockery of the original stories. So why hadn't she made the computer change the files to Alice in Wonderland? Almost as often as she had been going on about Lewis Carroll, she'd been drawing up plans for weapons that came almost exactly from the Frank Beddor books. In court she had been calculating, calm, completely insane but intelligent about it. Whereas when she had been in her cell most of the time she seemed to be babbling nonsense and poetry, forgetting just about anything. Two completely different mindsets, or two personalities. Jeremiah abandoned the files and opened a folder full of clips. He selected one to play. He waited until it was about halfway through, then he pushed away from the desk. And pulled a still sealed envelope from inside his desk. He didn't bother to turn off the clips as he pushed the cd that had been in the enelope in the computer and began playing the most recent of the clips. He fast forwarded past the first part where Alice had filmed her sister at the courthouse, to a tea table with effigies sitting all around it and Alice at the head. A somewhat demented and macabre version of a tea party. After a minute or two she stood up and picked up the camera.

"_We have some very special geust for tea tonight. We have The March Hare, her very best friend the White Rabbit, and Bill the lizard, who she loves like a brother. The Queen of hearts who Loves the lizard and the hare. The knave of hearts couldn't be here, he's been very severely punished for stealing my tarts. I'm afraid he won't ever be leaving his room, The queen doesn't like him anyway. The king of hearts who is the only true love of the queen, a tragic and romantic tale I assure you. And a visitor from Oz, The Scarecrow. Oh but what's this The batterwock. Who must be slain with the sword stained with wonderlander blood. The Vorpal blade." _

While Alice had been speaking she'd shown each of the efigies as she mentioned thier counterpart, now one by one she went back taking a kitchen knife and stabbing each effigy throught the heart. Stopping at the scarecrow. Then she stared at the camera and held up a chip that was about as big as a thumbnail.

"Lastly Alice shall die to make the Vorpal blade, she watched her friends die one by one. Caring about each one more than the poor Hatter. You know what I intend to do now Doctor, think about why I'd tell you." She gave bloodcurdling smile and turned off the camera.

Jeremiah closed the laptop. This alter ego was clearly a genius, the chip had been some sort of mind control device no doubt, the efigies refrenced her family members and for some reason Jonathan Crane and the Batman. Not to mention what she intended to do to most of them, like she said though the question was why would she tell him? The best hypothesis was that this was a diversion, that is if you were a police of sorts. Jeremiah believed that she had every intention of carrying out the script on the video, so then the logical assumption was that she wouldn't give him a chance to do anything about it. Jeremiah opened the laptop again and began typing an email. In a matter of minutes her had it all typed except for a single word. He thought for a minute before typing in the adress, just as his office door opened. Jeremiah looked up quickly and registered the new secretary failing miserably at hiding a gun and his gloved hands behind his back. He filled in the last word gave a clue to the password encryption in the corect box and sent it all, and shut the laptop again, in a matter of seconds. He stood.

"I have a history of making very bad choices for my secretaries. Are you quite sure you want to do this Mr. Sharp?"

Sharp stopped trying to hide the gun and pointed it at Jeremiah,"She's promised me that she has a way to fool every one into thinking that I was your partner so I can get you job."

"That doesn't answer my question, but if you intend to do this, try to get it through the head. I don't want to have to ble-." There wasn't any sort of loud bang, Hatter had been very sure to get a gun with a silencer.

"_Well done Mr. Sharp. That's mine, thanks. I'll have to tie you to your chair make it look believable. Now if you'll give me a minute_." Hatter said taking the gun and sitting behind Arkahm's.

She set her hat sideways on the desk as she opened the laptop. She smiled fondly, another store bought security program. How cute, these days she didn't trust anything but her own software for good reason. Hatter pushed a few buttons inside her hat and the laptop typed in the password itself. She chuckled a bit that he hadn't managed to fix all of the files she had messed with. She opened a few files and added a few sentences here a name there, and she turned it off and stood up smiling at Quincy.

_"Quincy Sharp, congratulations you ae the sole head and owner of Arkham Asylum_." She held out a hand for him to shake and when he took it she hit him upside the head with the gun in the other, "_That's believable."_

Hatter reached down and plucked his keys away. She walked down the hall towards the more dangerous inmates, stopping in front of one holding a man that looked far to skinny and to tall.

"Dr. Crane I've got a proposition for you." She said sticking her hands in her pockets.

"Jonathan issn't here right now."

"Well we'l fix that right away then, or you'll get annoying." Hatter answered taking her favorite invention out of her pocket, "Say hello, to the very best in mind control, and now say good bye."


	4. Chapter4: Visitor from Oz

When Jonathan Crane woke up it was to one of the most unusual predicaments he'd ever been in. A girl with a violent mass of frizzy red hair was asleep handcuffed to a bed, in a room that had assorted Alice in Wonderland posters taped over the walls and a workbench with vairous wires and bits of metal. And it seemed that he was duct taped to a wooden chair. He wondered briefly how the girl hadfallasleep handcuffed, but his mind quickly moved on to more important matters. Namely his own situation. The last thing he remebered was sitting on his bed at Arkham trying to finish his book and argue with his alter ego at the same time. He looked over at the work bench, and noticed a scalpel and several needles about half full of a pale blue liquid. He shook his head, there'd be time to think about where or what this place was after the duct tape was off. Jonathan sighed quietly at the indignity of what he was about to do. He began to push his chair across the floor towards the table, and instead succeeded only in knocking over the chair. The girl blinked her eyes open looking confused for a minute, then frowning and muttering about getting out of her head.

"_You realize there is a reason I didn't put duct tape over your mouth? I figured you say something when you woke up. Now before you start asking questions, tell me has your alter ego been bothering you much and what is your name_." Hatter asked as she reached across the floor and pried up a loose board, pulling out a key and a gun.

"I think I'm entitled to some answers about how I got here an-"

"_Maybe you are entitled some things, but however I am completely in control of whether you live or die. Now answer my questions_." Hatter cut in unlocking herself from the handcuffs and checking how many bullets were in the gun

"I'm Dr. Jonathan Crane and I have not been bothered by any alter ego while here. Can I ask questions now or are you going to shoot me?"

"_No, absolutely not, I never had the slightest intention of killing you. Of course you can ask questions. I'm very sorry about the duct tape, but Scarecrow was sure to be horribly angry if my mind control chip didn't work. Frankly I didn't want to die if I miscalculated my abilities to manipulate minds_." Hatter rambled obviously delighted as she Pushed the chair upright and went over to the table in search of scissors.

"Who the hell are you, and what did you do to my psyche?"

"_I am the Hatter, though most will think of me as Alice Tetch. Alice isn't here she's been locked up in the back of my head. I'm keeping her there through sheer mental willpower that relates to what I did to you too. I made a chip that isolates the violent mentality of a person with DID. Then it will either lock it away in some obscure corner or push it out and confine the other personality. Now it's a very complicated procedure to implant it and I'm not going to tell you exactly but pretty much, I gave Scarecrow a sedative, made a little cut in the back of his neck and very carefully inserted it into a bunch of nerves. I really hope I didn't paralyze you but I've been planning this for four years, I think you'll be fine. You won't have to deal with Scarecrow ever if you're lucky. Alice's sheers perfect_." Hatter babbled holding up a pair of sewing sheers and carefully cutting off the duct tape.

As soon as he had pulled the tape of his person Jonathan turned around, grabbed the chair and threw it at Hatter. It caught her in the face and she yelled inadvertently squeezing the trigger of the gun. The gunshot went off and some one in another room began singing a very rushed rendition of 'The Walrus and the Carpenter'.

"_See what you've done! He was just fine before you had to go and through a chair at me. You're supposed to be a goddamn genius! Couldn't you have used the sedatives?" Hatter asked somewhat nasally as she held her hand against her face, trying to keep the blood off the floor, "Sit down and think about your questions because I will not hesitate to sedate you if you do that again_."

Hatter glared for a minute before gabbing her hat and another chip and storming out of the room. As she walked out she closed the door and jonathan heard a dead bolt slide across on the other side.

"You're locking me in?"

"_You threw a chair at me! Did you not see the blood?"_

Jonathan walked over to the table. He had no intention of 'thinking about his questions', the Tetch girl had gotten him out of Arkham now he just needed to get out of here. He lined up the syringes, a few sharp pieces of metal, and couple of magnifying glasses, wires, tweezers, and what appeared to be a sautering gun. A minute later he heard a knock at the door.

"If you lost your key I can't open it." He called still messing with the syringes and bits of wire.

"_I not opening it. I've no doubt you managed to make some elaborate bomb by now. Like I was saying at the asylum, I've a proposition for you. And you'll agree if your half the genius I think you are_."

"If I do have said bomb then why should I listen to you?"

"_Because, do you really remember what you were doing_?" Jonathan couldn't see Hatter fiddling with something on the inside of her hat.

"Of course I do I was... I was. How did you do that I new exactly how to make a pipe bomb out of all this, a minute ago."

"_Dr. Crane, My chip runs off neural energy. I just severely decreased it's efficiency. It uses more power the less brain functions you have. Will you listen now_? "

"I might if you stop messing with my mind."

"_Alright then, You do remember sweet rabbit right? March Tetch_?_ Why did't you kill her_?"

"Because I'd never gotten out of Arkham if I had."

"That's a good answer. But now you're out, no alter ego to argue with, and you can kill her. Why kill her?"

"That is so easy it's demeaning, I'll kill her beacause she threatened me, and mocked me, and generally made herself a nuisance."

"Why not use you ingenious toxins on her, killing her is just a quick splash of blod and a scream. Torture her slowly carefully and she won't stop screaming."

"If she was screaming someone would hear her."

"Want to see something I've got?" Hater asked suddenly opening the door and peering in, "Unless you're scared?"

Jonathan glared, this girl knew how to get to him. He followed her downstairs into the empty shop that had reams of cloth strewn all over it. The Hatter walked into a back room and pulled a key out of her pockets and opened another door. This one opened directly on the first step of another set of stairs. Hatter reached the basement before Jonathan and ran off into the darkness to turn on a light. A harsh flourescent light illuminated the room, which jonathan realized had a faint metalic and smoky odor. In th middle of the room there was a surgical table with leather straps meant to tie down patients. There were three tables off to the side, two were full of diferent knives and syringes even what appeared to be a cheese grater. The third taabled was occupied by chemicals in diferent glass bottles and tubes, ranging in everything from ammonia (in an old beer bottle) to a few cubes of C-4 (in a chipped teacup). A puddle of blood appeared to have dripped off the table onto the floor and the same congealed substance was sprayed across the walls that had been painstakingly sound proofed.

"What do you think, they didn't hear her for two years. The little girl helping me let the Rabbit go, left her out on the street. Convinced Alice to go out and see her sister, then some one called the cops. She was too young to not have a conscience." Hatte remarked bitterly witha hint of pride nonetheless.

"I'm wondering what you want."

Hatter smiled and dug another chip out of her pocket, "How steady are your hands, Doctor?"


	5. Chapter5: Control freak

"You don't like to move around a lot do you?"

"Hey! It's homey and can you imagine how hard it would be to figure out my way around a new place?" Ellda shot back at Dodge as she pried open the door to her ware house.

Dodge shrugged and stepped in behind her. He had the most infuriating urge to wash his hands, she'd said something about soap hadn't she?

"Though now you mention it, I've had my eye on an old chemical plant around here. There's a couple of vats of some very interesting liquids."

"Yeah okay, I need soap. Now." Dodge said wiping his hands on his shirt trying to scrub off nonexistent filth.

"Right, I forgot. It's been a long time." Ellda said and she ran off into her ware house, "There's a bathroom back here and soap too, just no hot water."

"I don't care I just really need to wash my hands." Dodge said following her into an old public restroom that had a somewhat rusty bathtub pushed next to a broken sink," Where is the soap?"

Ellda held out a sliver of soap and Dodge grabbed it and commenced scrubbing his hands at one of the faucets. Ellda licked her lips and slunk away quietly picking up her eye where dodge had dropped it. Why did they deserve this? A disease born of mental strain that overwhelmed the mind, that's what the first doctor had told her. He was dead. The second doctor had just made her take tests and draw pictures. She quit. The third one made her take all sorts of pills and drinks, until she was drowsy and hallucinating. He was dead too, she'd literally given a taste of his own medicine. A few to many tastes was never healthy. Being a mortician in this city must be very profitable, she figured, that and being a psychologist, they must have great benefits at the rate they're dropping.

"You aren't terribly intelligent, I hope you know that Clowney."

"G'dammit! Don't do that Erin, Do you want me to be paranoid?" Ellda yelled spinning around tripping over her feet and landing flat on her back looking somewhat dazed.

"Your mother is going to have the entire police force after you, she's already got about half nearly pissing their pants. I only caught up with you because you refuse to take taxis. You should take notes from your brother they're really quite efficient, what do you have against taxis anyway?" Erin asked holding out a hand for Ellda.

"People die in taxis! Like that one dude with the Zodiac killer back in the nineteen-eighties." Ellda retorted as she picked herself up not noticing Erins hand.

"And you worry about being paranoid? Wasn't the Zodiac killer in LA?"

"We still got Joker, Riddler, Me, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Alice, Dad, Batman, uuuum You-"

"Hey! I'm not crazy!"

"Of course not you just like to shoot people and blow them up. Like me. Now help me find new outfits for Dodge and me." Ellda answered sarcastically.

Erin shrugged and started digging through the boxes around Ellda's warehouse.

"What about- s***! Why the hell, is there a body in here? It's got maggots and...and, I repeat. WHAT THE HELL?"

Ellda looked up from her own box, "Well I think I was gonna eat it and then I got caught so I just never got the chance to."

Erin looked at her incredulously, "You know what, you need to get out. Now. Other than people what's your favorite food?"

"Pudding! I love pudding, and sometimes yogurt or custard, mostly pudding." Ellda said in a rush from inside of a box.

"Okay, I'm going to buy pudding and I will find some one to fix your fridge. Before I go, you do realize how unhealthy it is to eat people, correct?"

"We had the conversation about why I eat them about two or three years ago. Frankly though it's healthier than what some peo-"

"No! It's not healthy particularly for your mental sanity. That was rhetorical, whatever you're about to say I don't need to hear it." Erin snapped as she began to walk away.

"I just wanted you to pick up a newspaper or something." Ellda called and Erin sighed.

What had driven her to be friends with this kid?

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"_Didanythinghappen_?" Hatter asked bolting upright.

"Are you on drugs or do you just drink to much caffeine?" Jonathan asked looking up from his book," And nothing unusual happened, but you should test you motor skills. Whatever happens it wasn't my fault."

_"Why? What happened_?" Hatter asked worriedly standing up and flexing her fingers, "_Why isn't my left hand moving properly? Something happened_!"

"Your chip shocked me."

"_You turned it on_!"

"No the only thing I did was move your hat out of the way and-"

"_Where did you touch it? Inside the brim_?" She asked annoyed

"Yes."

"_This is so your fault! You turned it on! The damned control is inside my hat. Where is my hat? Where did you put it? What kind of Doctor are you, don't answer that_!" Hatter yelled grabbing her hat off her work table and turning to point at the book Jonathan was reading, "_That book is outdated, who the hell do you think you are Jervis? Alice in Wonderland... he can't even choose good literature. I'm going to shoot you later. Right now I have people to kidnap and-"_

"Won't the police find you here?"

"_What? No. See I kidnapped March at my first house which I vacated immediately afterwards then I moved into a haberdashery where I was caught. This is just the place I kept the rabbit the police don't know where it is. What ever you need for your gas I can get I already have what could easily be mistaken for a meth lab in the basement, note to self put The c-4 in a fridge, Would you like to help me kidnap her?" _She asked pulling her coat on.

"Why do you have Mr. Tetch locked up in the next room?"

"_How did you figure that out he dead bolted it from the inside after I chipped him."_

"You nodded towards the room when you mentioned him, and you chipped your father?"

"_Of course I did, he can't be singing like that some one might hear. Frankly he really isn't my father. More like a grandfather. If anything I'm your kid. Now do you want to help me kidnap rabbit_?" Hatter asked throwing a handful of chips into her pocket.

"Ye- wait, My kid, how do you figure?"

"_Well I'm Alice's alter ego I was made when your lovely gas terrified the poor girl. So I'm made of her fears, her fathers obsession, the violent tastes of her stepfather, and your sheer genius which is a welcome side effect. Think of it like this, if I were a bit taller and my eyes were brown instead of green I would be disaster that could happen if you and Alice mated_." The Hatter grinned," _Now put down the bad literature and pick up a gas canister, and some one call Elmer Fudd we're going Wabbit hunting_."

"That's disturbing."

_"So is life_."

"You got over you hand quick."

"_Yes, I did because I control a chip implanted in your spine, don't you ever forget that_."


	6. Chapter6: Here We Go

The funeral Of Dr. Arkham reflected greatly on who he had been. No, there wasn't some unknown relative of his who gave his life's acomplishments. Nor were there any tearful speeches from friends about the kind of person he was. In fact the only speeches given were from his succesor, a Mr. Sharp, and few other notable figures from politics. Most of the attendees had only come out of respect for the late Dr. Arkham, to keep up appearances more like. Jeremiah had been an loner, respected for his intelligence certainly, but a loner nonetheless. No one really knew any thing about him, he had no close relations at least none that were known. No friends, few sane aquaintences. In other words he had simply existed to most people. Every one knew who he was, but there probably wasn't a person in the world who really did _know_ him. Not that he would have cared, he would have said that he had no time for a social life because his work was important. His work could help people. Ellda knew all this. She figured se was really the only person here who had really ever met Jeremiah. She held her flowers alittle more tightly and pulled the black viel of her hat down a bit more. She didn't need any one these people to ask unnecesary questions or try to lock her up again. More importantly they by NO means needed to see her scars. She looked strange enough as it was, one of her oldest outfits a plain black dress that she had altered to fit her after all these years. It was raggedy looking and charred, and it reeked of burning flesh and smoke and fear. She couldn't remember why she kept it, logically she shoudn't have. It brought back bad memories.

Ellda shook her head. She needed to focus, not let herself get caught up in old times. She stood when it was her turn Dodge stood with her guiding her towards the casket. She cursed inwardly at how the heat in the grave yardficult to keep the guns and knives strapped to her legs from sliding off. She thought that maybe Dr. Arkham would have smiled at least a bit to know about all the artillery she was carrying. She was still clutching the the little bunch of flowers, Black Dahlias, Daisies, and charred Roses. No one else had flowers Dodge had said earlier. she knew they would wonder about her strange choice of flora. No one else would get it, the Dahlias which almost completely covered up the rest of flowers, were a mask. The roses were loss and the Daisies were purity, goodness. A metaphor for the villians at Arkham except maybe Jokesy, she'd have to take away the daisies for him. She realized it was like her too and she meant it to be. Dodge stopped and she reached forward in silence laying her bouquet next to the corpse. She let go of Dodge's hand and did something she'd never have dared if Arkham were alive. Just quickly she ran her hands over his face, sharp feature but not unpleasant she decided, a circle of a clever fuax skin filled a gunshot wound between his eyes. Slightly off teeth, he appparently never bothered with braces. Then she plucked something from his coat pocket and Dodge grabbed something out from under Arkham's body.

"What am I holding Dodge?" Ellda holding out her hand.

"Refrigerator magnet, shaped like the Zodiac killers symbol, kinda figures." Dodge said glancing up as he looked over what he had, "I gotta laptop."

"Hey you two can't take that! What do you think you're do-?" Ellda looked up at some random religious man who had tried to make the doctor seem somewhat pious, Ellda knew Jeremiah had been athiest what inmate didn't?

Ellda interupted him pulling a shotgun out from under her dress," I can take whatever I want, and I happen to think we're just leaving now. I'm just tring to avoid being killed by my psychotic sister, another Doctor with DID, a clown, and the WSSC. Oh and possibly my Dad."

"Oooooh this isn't the time." Dodge moaned doubling over in pain, "E. OCD's acting up I-I need a knife or something."

"Oh you don't have to ask her, I've got one you can borrow." Hatter said stepping up from a crouching position behind a gravestone and holding up a steak knife.

"Dodge I'll give you a gun instead." Elda said throwing Dodge another gun she had brought, " Shoot her!"

"I can't allow that." Jonathan said stepping out from behind a taller gravestone and gassing Dodge.

"E. she's on the other side of the coffin, you gotta run." Dodge choked, the pain from the OCD almost doubling as the shadows at the edges of his vision began taking shape.

"I'm very sorry Shrink, no disrespect meant." Ellda said quickly to the corpse before upheaving the table the coffin was on.

Hatter fell back with a snarl nearly being pushed into the freshly dug grave by the coffin and it's contents. She regained her balance quickly grabbing a syringe out of her jacket and leaping at Ellda who has trying to pull Dodge along with her. The few other attendees were by now very sorry they had come as the entire area appeared surrounded by adolescent females in clown make up holding very large guns. And this was only the New York chapter of the WSSC, almost all of thier east coast members had flown in. When a hat crazy psychotic sixteen year old kidnaps your leader straight out of Arkham you do what you have to do. Crane was watching Dodge trying to scratch out her eyes with a bored sort of interest. Hatter grabbed Ellda my the collar of her dress knocking off her hat and pushing Dodge away.

"Hey, Hey! Pay attention to me. You're sister just never shut up about you. Always, Oh March has got to be alive that circus kid has got to be her cause she'd never play with fire she'd run like hell from it. Can we go see March? Can March come over? When can I talk to March? March, March, March March! I was there, I took care of her for years. But no can't talk to Hatter must talk to March. Now she can't talk at all. Just because she cared a little too much. The people in your family are so maternal. Maybe I can fix that." Hatter said tapping Ellda's glass eye with one hand and using the other the slip the syringe into her arm, "You're eyes were never green like Mommy dear, you always had Jervis's eyes, blue, blue, blue. Why bother with the green fake one?"

Hatter dug her fingers around the eye prying it out and tossing it away. Hatter looked up as another girl drove up in a black van with chipping paint. The driver and a few other girls in facepaint gave Hatter nasty looks as they started loading Dodge and Ellda into the back of it. Dodge giving the most trouble as Ellda was out cold.

Hatter smiled, "Well in the words of your most esteemed psychopathic clown, Here we go."


	7. Chapter7: Mob Wars

"Okay Freak we helped you get these kids now you let Mr. J go." Haley asked looking a just as tough as she was in the joker face paint.

" Freak isn't awake yet, but if you'd like to leave a message-" Hatter was cut off rather rudely by Hailey.

"Stuff it. You got Mr. J out of Arkham, we did what you asked, now you let him go or we'll find something unpleasant for you." Hailey had grabbed Hatter by her coat lapels and pushed her up against the side of the van.

Hatter rather than being at all intimidated looked bored if anything. Hailey was unnerved, being (in Joker's absence) the head honcho of the Gotham chapter of the WSSC, was used to being respected even feared by people. Hatter however wasn't even sure if she could be 'people'. Who had ever heard of a six year old capable of her kind of genius? Thinking on that maybe she was a bit overconfident in the area of her intellect, not that it mattered if you completely controlled everyone around you. And she definitely had control.

"Hailey, you won't do anything to me because if you do you might give your precious Misss- ter- Jay, some uh, puh-erm- muh-nent brain damage." Hatter said smirking in a disturbing and mocking imitation of the Joker.

Hailey knew she'd been had, if she smacked the brains out of this smart ass Mr. J. would end up brain dead no doubt. If she backed down some other girl would challenge her authority later, plenty of over ambitious new girls. Hailey glared and then opted for something in between. Snarling she threw Hatter against the truck and sat down.

Crane smirked turning his attention back to the still immobile Ellda, "What did you give her? Curare?"

"Precisely that, imitation death in a bottle. Technically she's awake, but she can't move, her heart rate is pretty close to flat line, her breathing is sketchy. I feel like injecting her with something else and then hooking her up to monitors to see what happens." Hatter said her eyes glowing creeping out even some of the WSSC.

"You're insane." Crane said seriously.

"No shiz Sherlock. What are you going to do with him? He looks like he's going to piss his pants." Hatter muttered pointing towards Dodge who was still thrashing and trying to scream through the duct tape over his mouth.

"You'll understand I need to have some one to test my toxins on."

"Of course Herr Crane. And you'll get your turn with the lab rabbit. right now I have table's to turn right now." Hatter said as the van stopped. Hatter jumped out pulling Ellda with her," Hailey I've heard about Jokesy's soft spot for Sweet Rabbit. I'll unchip him if you brig me a knife, a gun, a potato peeler, maybe some twine, aaaand a uh cigarette lighter. I hate letting other people get to torture her first, aw well I'll get to kill her,"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~~!~!~!~!~!~!

At about the same time that Ellda was grabbing the refrigerator magnet Erin was trying to pull some mafia strings.

"Sal, WSSC chapters are flying in from as far as LA. Now in New York alone there are over five hundred members, if the entire California and Chicago chapters came in the entire mob would be dead in matter of weeks. You're the head of the two largest crime families in Gotham, If you went with my plan then so would over half of the other bosses. If you don't do anything either a psychopathic mad woman or the Joker will have control of this town. We all remember what happened the last time the Joker was at large."

Salvatore Moroni looked rather pensive while he mulled this over," You know Erin, you really should have gone into the business, you'd have doe really well. I'm in the crew is to much of a threat to ignore. Now earlier you said something about people you had to make weapons. Who'd you get?"

Erin smiled, "If you wouldn't mind turning on GCN the news should be coming right about now."

Salvatore motioned one of his thugs to turn on the TV that sat in his office.

" A mass break out from Arkham Asylum occured today. Notorious criminals Pamela Isley, Edward Nigma, Oswald Cobblepot, and Victor Zsasz have escaped. Gotham PD believes the earlier breakout three weeks ago organized by Alice Tetch and the one today are related. The escapees from the previous break out are Joker, Jonathan Crane, and Jervis Tetch. Citizens are warned to be on the watch for all of the escapees. If they are sighted do not approach them and notify the police. In other news the airports are receiving a sudden surge in income due to an unprecedented increase in tourist activity-" Erin cut the anchor off.

"The break out today I engineered. Miss Isley's botanical weapons have proven just as deadly if not more so than anything on the black market. Nigma though with a flair for the dramatic is quite a genius specializing in psychological weapons to rival the ones made by the Tetches and Dr. Crane. Cobblepot still has an immense fortune kept in offshore banks to keep it from being siezed by Gotham's finest. Zsasz is a psychopath no doubt about it but he has his own stash of weapons and isn't above murder for hire, and for a surprisingly low amount. you won't have to pay since they work for me technically in exchange for the breakout." Erin was quite proud of herself, of course the fact that she actually knew how to make all of these cogs turn might have raised eyebrows in normal company. She didn't keep normal company much anyway.

Salvatore chuckled, "Erin, I had my doubts when you came in here, but you know what I stand by what I said earlier. You really should have gone into the business."


	8. Chapter8: So much to do, So little time

"Wake up, wakeup, wakeup,wakeup."

Ellda shook her head she wanted to sleep, she was tired. From what she couldn't remember, maybe something she had eaten. A few more minutes and then maybe- Ellda lurched off the chair she'd been asleep on as some one slapped her across the face.

"Damn Colorful, you don't ha-" Ellda started drowsily until she realized her wrists were tied to the chair," Shit."

"And you're in it puh-retty deep sweethear**t**." Joker said roughly pulling Ellda back up onto the chair, "Now you had a lot of lip back at Arkummm. Unfortunately for you, Alice has promised me a very large ah-moun**t **of a very special laughing gas if you're alive at the end of an hoooour. Soooo wha**t** ever I decide to do, it won't be _quick."_

Ellda heard the ring of metal as though someone had ran their finger along the edge o a very sharp knife. She heard him set the knife down and pick up something else. It made a clicking noise, switchblade maybe? Then she felt it pressed against the burned skin on her face. A cigarette lighter.

"Ca- canw- can we talk a-about this. N-no fire m-may-mayb- maybe, please?" Ellda asked desperately, feeling her lungs threatening to give her a panic attack.

"Tut-tut-tut, I dooon't think so."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"He what? You're lying…Tetch's do not lead the Crew." Hailey hissed looking at Hatter with a mixture of anger and shock.

"You want to go ask him? He'd shoot you in an instant for ruining his fun. So if you value your life you'll do as I say, because just like you are to your precious Mr. J., you're expendable." Hatter shot back holding up a tube of greasepaint, " Get your faces on you lot. You aren't good to me unless they know what you are."

"You little-" Hatter didn't let her finish the sentence.

Hatter watched somewhat amused as Hailey's body fell to the ground. She hadn't bothered to get a silencer for this gun and the silence that filled the space left by the gun shot was piercing and somewhat fearful. Hatter looked around at all the other girls, apparently things like this didn't happen very often.

"You had all best remember that anytime I want I can get more of you. Fifty states and some real diehards wouldn't hesitate to fly out from another continent. In your little middle schools maybe you were tough and cool. Hiding in the corner of some abandoned classroom, and bullying kids out of lunch money. Wearing purple and dying your hair green, putting on all that make up. Get yours heads in the game sweeties. I have a deal with Joker, and you had better start figuring out that the guns that people are going to shoot you with aren't air soft or bb guns. Now get your faces on and get rid of that." Hatter said nodding towards Hailey's body.

Hatter didn't stay to supervise, these girls certainly wouldn't consciously accept her as the leader. Of course not, but they would fear her, and they would listen. At least if they didn't want to end up dead or chipped. She walked up to the second story of the little shop. Hatter unlocked the door to Jervis's room. Not that he could really get out in his current state but she couldn't have one of the girls kill him in a botched attempt to get at her. He was sitting on one of the wooden chairs the previous owner had left behind and staring blankly into space. Hatter waited for a minute and thought of the shortest Lewis Carroll poem she could, she wanted this over with quickly. Then she plucked the chip from behind Jervis's ear and immediately started talking.

"How doth the little crocodile, improve his shining tail, and pour the waters of the nile, on every golden scale. How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws, and welcomes little fishes in, with gently smiling jaws." Hatter said watching the initial shock and paranoia of not being controlled wore off.

"Hello Alice, It's been a while hasn't it? I can never remember, you haven't managed to fix that amnesia with the chips yet?" He asked, "And who told you about the rhyming?"

"I'm not Alice, I'm Hatter. And I stole your files from Dr. Blakloch. When you start feeling insecure and schizophrenic you start rhyming. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that rhyming can keep you fairly lucid. Now I need your help. You are going to fix this hat." Hatter said taking off her hat and tossing it to Jervis.

"Why can't you fix it? Its not my technology."

"Yes it is, You left your spare hat at home and Alice stole it and some of your chips. I put the tech in this hat and did some work on your original chips. The original technology in the hat is yours and it's so old I don't even know what programming you used. Of course there's other things I've added but I've fixed those and I need you to fix the control." Hatter said, this was taking longer than she liked. It wasn't like she didn't have things to do.

"How did you break it? It looks fine. Except…. You've left it by a magnet, don't you know those are murder on these type of things."

"Shut up, Old man. March had one when I went to get her-"

"March is here? Where is she?"

"With The clown. Fix-"

"You left your sister with the Joker? He'll kill her!"

"I'm going to rob a bank, that going to take about two hours. Hmmm a little bit longer that I wanted….. Fix my hat by then. You've got everything you'll need." Hatter said turning to walk out of the room.

"He'll kill Her. She'll die-"

"Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder what you're at, up above us all so high, like a tea tray in the sky." Hatter said briefly attempting to keep Jervis from having another breakdown, she did not need that right now.

"I won't fix your hat, I won't do it-"

Hatter rolled her eyes,"Shut up! Fix the hat and I'll let her go at least I'll think about it."

Hatter walked out of the room with out waiting for an answer. She didn't have time for this sort of thing, she had banks to rob and people to kill and twist. At the top of her people to twist was quite possibly the Batterwocky and the Red King Wayne she thought somewhat fond of the names she had came up with. She had a tea party to plan which meant she needed to kidnap and kill and make out an invitation. Hatter jumped into the van barely having registered that she was outside. She checked the clock on the dash board.

"Well we best hurry to the bank. We're late for a very important date."


	9. Chapter9: Pleasance! And friends

Hatter walked along the top of on off the counters in the bank, taking her time with the robbery. She held her crippled left hand in her pocket out of the way as usual. Idly pointing her gun at random civilians for the fun of hearing them whimper. She could tell that the length of the roberry was bothering some of the girls, the few of them that had done this before were used to get in get out situations. Of course then it had bee a bout the money, Hatter wasn't interested in money. It was easier to point a gun at somebodies head and demand what she wanted. This was definetly not about money, not that she would complain if any of it got thrown in to the deal.

Hatter looked at the girls spread out through the bank gesturing at them with her gun," If you want the money take whatever you can carry, I don't want any and I sure as hell won't carry it."

Hatter watched amused as they all ran for the vault, fairly fighting each other for the chance to be first in the vault. Then she frowned, where oh where was the white rabbit? She should have been here by now. No matter Hatter laughed, she'd rob another bank on another day.

Almost as an after thought she began singing under her breath,"They told me you had been to her, And mentioned me to him: She gave me a good character, But said I could not swim. He sent them word I had not gone, (We know it to be true): If she should push the matter on, What would become of you? I gave her one, they gave him two, You gave us three or more; They all returned from-"

Hatter was cut off in mid verse by the front doors shattering from a gunshot. She dove under the counter she had been standing on and managing to hit her head against the floor in the process. Grabbing her hat and rubbing her forehead where she was sure a lump was forming she peered over the top of the counter.

"I know you're here Hatter!" Erin shouted stepping over the broken glass with her hands in the pockets of her trench coat.

Hatter rolled her eyes and adopted a more weak and innocent tone of voice,"Hatter? Hatter are you sure? Hatter is my father, I'm Alice. You're the White Rabbit!"

"Don't play innocent with me. You weren't fast enough to kill Arkham. He knew who was willing to give everything to stop you. He sent me an email Clowney figured out the password, you girls got Tetch genes through and through you know." Erin chuckled still completely at ease,"you know Multiple personalities haven't ever really been accepted as real anywhere except the US. If you know how to pull it off you might just get arkham instead of Blackwall. Even then, look at what you got racked up, kidnapping, robbery, arson, murder, unlawful imprisonement, battery, armed assualt, armed assualt of an officer, armed battery, assualt, bombing probably, unlawful use of mind altering drugs and products. Lets not forget arson, bribery, prison break, attempted murder. Did I mention kidnapping? I lost track."

Hatter couldn't help but burst out laughing," Do you think I don't know that? Besides you gonna stop me?"

"No, I have a feeling they want to." Erin said pointing out the door behind her.

"Where the hell are Dodge and March!" Laine shouted walking up behind Erin looking absolutely enraged..

"Ooooh good god. Alice's mummy." Hatter sighed, well two birds with one stone, "You are going to be very annoying, You'll have to be sedated."

"Hey, Pleasance! Catch!" another woman called throwing Laine what appeared to be a mottled green rubber ball.

Hatter looked over to who had thrown it," Hello Pamela, do intend to fight me with a beach ball?"

Poison ivy gave her a withering glare,"Pleasance, I really hope you don't mind but in about five seconds I'm going to strangle your daughters alter ego."

"Lets try the beach ball first." Laine said hurling the ball at Hatter.

Out of instinct Hatter ducked out of the way. The ball burst against the wall behind her sprouting a very large venus flytrap. It snapped at just about anything that moved. Hatter looked at it interested before shooting it.

"I like dodge ball. Wanna play?" She asked giggling, then she frowned,"That felt so undignified."

Poison ivy smiled tossing Laine and Erin a ball from a bag,"We call offense."

Hatter smiled," I think not, Offense is my forte. LADIES! We're leavin'"

The three women didn't hesitate to start throwing Ivy's plant spheres at Hatter. Forcing her to run ducking behind the counters.

"Hey Hatt-"

Hatter cut the girl who had just returned from the vault, off pointing to Laine, Erin, and Ivy," Shoot them! Maim, don't kill. If any of them die all of you will wish I was that kind. Actually, you can kill treehugger but I want the other two alive!"

She could almost hear the annoyance of the teenagers. For a moment she considered shooting one of them as a bit of motivation. Most of them had gotten used to having to clear away each others bodies. The fact that she would kill them without a second thought was threatening enough she figured. Hatter relaxed a bit and stood up as soon as she heard the gunshots. Examining the damage quickly Hatter didn't step out from behind the counter.

"Get outside and kill every one, this one will have brought her mobster friends and the other escapees." She told the girls nodding towards Erin, who had collapsed after a good shot to the leg.

As if on cue Hatter felt an arm slip over her shoulder holding a knife against her neck. This was turning out to be a lot harder than she'd thought it would be. Taking one glance at the girls who were confused as to whether to shoot whoever was holding the knife or shoot the people on the street.

"Ladies get going!" Hatter yelled twitching slightly at the feel of the knife against her neck,"Hello Zsasz, surprised you stuck with the White rabbit so long. Kill me already."

Was completely calm, which unnerved not only Zsasz but the civilians within earshot. Zsasz pressed the knife against Hatters throat and she felt it cut through the skin, hissing quietly. It didn't go any deeper, thought the fact that Zsasz hand was shaking was making it more than painful enough as far as Hatter was concerned. Twisting Zsasz hand out of the way while hewas caught up in what ever he was thinking.

"You can't kill me. Not now anyway. White rabbits, aaaah, lack of intelligence in the field of psychology has caused one rather serious flaw. Mr. Zsasz, she broke you out because you would kill without a second thought, she fails to take into account that you are a serial killer. You can't kill unless everything fits your modus opperandi. Definetly not a bank robbery in the middle of the city, in broad daylight." Hatter babbled continuing to twist Zsasz's wrist ignoring the gunshots and screams from outside as well as the serial murderers increasingly frenzied attempts to pull his hand away. Hatter heard a faint popping noise and finally dropped Zsasz's either broken or dislocated wrist, it didn't interest her enough to find out,"I'm assuming the queen of hearts didn't know, she wouldn't have alowed it."

Hatter walked over to Laine and Erin. She bent down and grabbed Laine by the back of her collar, dragging her out to the van despite Laines feeble attempts to punch and kick Hatter. In the back of her mind Hatter hoped Crane would be better at fixing these two up than with implanting mind control chips. It really would be a shame if they died. Hatter suddenly thought of her _other_ hand she realized that she hadn't taken it out of her pocket. In fact she had quite forgotten about it. A very amusing thought crept into her mind, O_ne hand tied behind my back, pathetic you lot, very dissapointing. Maybe I'll get my other hand messed up and see how you fare._

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Okay I realize this is as hatter puts it "Pathetic" and "Very dissapointing" for a months wait. I have no excuses, except that I rewrote this like five times because I thoroughly despised my writing. I have an answer for Pleasance...no, NEVER!...EVER!


	10. Chapter10: Humpty Dumpty

_She couldn't remember where she was, how she got there or why she was covered in blood and in so much pain. She couldn't remember how long she had been laying there trying to piece together her memories. Most of it was beginning to come back. Just quick flashes, sitting through the funeral, her flowers, Alice or Hatter now, then newer memories. _

_A knife sliding, like through butter as she clenched her teeth and fists, trying not to scream. The knife was in the back of her ankle, the Achilles tendon. Somehow she imagined she could hear the steady flow of blood coming out of the cut already centimeters deep. She knew he was stretching it out on purpose, cutting agonizingly slow. It definitely hadn't been the best idea to kick him when he brought the lighter to close for her comfort. It was still only the first leg, he had said both right? She thought trying to think about any thing at all other than the knife and the blood and- no! She refused to give him that satisfaction. To hear her scream and beg. Then the knife hit, a nerve and pain shot up to her shoulder. Her entire mindset shattered, any thoughts of controlling her voice now long gone. She struggled wildly as the sounds tore from her throat._

She shuddered, trying to keep away the memories. She knew it wouldn't be possible though….

_It was a pinprick, barely hurt at all. It was just a needle after all. She doubted she would be able to scream either way. Her throat was raw, and if someone had told her she ruptured her voice box she wouldn't have doubted it for an instant. Her shoulder where the needle had gone in started itching at first. Uncomfortable but not unbearable after what had happened with her legs. Then her entire arm was itching and another needle went in, and maybe three or four more. Then it started burning, every were like her blood was on fire. The beating of her heart and the flow of her own blood spreading the pain until it was unbearable. She heard screaming, it took a minute for her to realize the screams were hers._

Her head was spinning, reality became harder to discern from memory. Doors slamming, she heard them and muffled voices she thought she recognized. Her mind was working overtime to help her remember everything and keep in touch with reality. Deciding the doors and people were part of the latter she lifted her self in to a hunched sitting position. Her entire body screaming its disapproval in waves of pain as she pulled her self up against a wall. On some insane urge she smiled, then grimaced. Her face hurt, and she could feel fresh trails of blood roll over the old ones. She reached up with one hand and pressed it against the side of her face. Her fingertips brushing the empty eye socket, and a wound on her cheek stinging from the salt on her skin…

_Hours, or days. She didn't know, didn't really care either. It had been a long time, she knew that. She really couldn't scream any more, she could barely breathe. A steady rhythm of blood dripping into a pool on the floor coincided with the drops she could feel slipping off her fingers. It was almost comforting, she was so tired it could have lulled her sleep. She was going to let it do exactly that. Any kind of sleep would be better than being awake. She had imagined her death so many times, and in so many ways. None of them had her duct taped to a chair and bleeding out. There was something ludicrous about it she thought. She made a weak sound in the back of her throat, laughing. It hurt so bad, she must have been crazy to laugh at a time like this. She'd been crazy for a long time though. Then she felt rough hands jerk her face up by the jaw and the cool thin blade of a knife between her lips. He was speaking to her, asking about whether she thought it was funny. Did she like the pain? No answer? To bad. She didn't bother to speak, the words weren't worth the pain. He continued, alternating between whispers, yells, and almost cooing. He brushed a strand of hair back with his thumb and she jerked at the contact. He started cooing again at the action. Sh sh sh sh sh, we're almost done. Lighten up, this one will be quick. She really needed to learn how to smile in the face of death. He would be all too happy to teach her._

The door to her little room slammed open. She trembled briefly, waiting for the other person to make the first move. A few quick footsteps and then they were running their hands over cuts and burns. Examining every new wound with an almost caring precision. That was what she had thought, no, hoped until she heard their voice.

"Its amazing how you don't even have to kill a person to earn the fear of an entire city. Like us, Sweet Rabbit. Technically, you've only been convicted of attempting to steal the Crown Jewels exhibit. As for me, well, I haven't killed you yet. Or any one else…directly. Crane did a lovely job patching you up, stitches even Alice would envy. Pity that I'll have to make him reset your ribs, and well any thing else that breaks." Hatter said, her manner changing completely as she grabbed Ellda's braid and jerked her up.

Ellda gasped trying to stand on her own and pry away Hatters fingers. Her feet stumbled as she was dragged out of the room, they wouldn't hold her up. She probably could have managed to pull Hatters hand away if the distance she had been taken weren't so short. Ellda didn't understand for a moment when she felt Hatter let go of her hair. Then she was falling forward down the stairs, trying to grab the banister before she broke something else. She hit the floor, her momentum slamming her against the door. She heard something snap and pain shot through her arm and chest.

Hatter laughed gaily running down the stairs. At the bottom she kicked Ellda, ignoring the strange looks from the couple of WSSC members in her parlor. Still laughing Hatter grabbed Ellda's braid again, dragging her toward another room. Suddenly Ellda knew exactly where she was going. She screamed weakly, digging her nails into the floor.

"Oh come now, Rabbit. Am I really that bad?" Hatter asked mockingly stopping for a moment to crush one of Ellda's hands under her heel.

Ellda felt bones snapping and yelped. She felt her hair being pulled again and, "Not back there! Please!"

Hatter giggled and opened a door, "You don't have much of a choice, do you Rabbit?"

The next thing Ellda knew was that she had been thrown down another set of stairs. Her head hitting the concrete at the bottom. She rolled over onto her back, her ears still ringing from the impact. Hatter jumped down the stairs two at a time, jumping over Ellda at the bottom. She stood for a minute there, proudly taking in the changes in her basement that had occurred over the last few weeks. Dodge was strapped down and asleep on the surgical bed, maybe passed out she never could tell the difference. Dr. Crane was at work over what, for all she knew, could have been a meth lab. Chemicals had never been her interest, psychology was so much more interesting. And of course, a terrified little rabbit trying to crawl back up the stairs. Exactly how she liked it, full of people for her to control.

"Johnny-boy! Have you finished the laughing gas for The Cheshire Cat?" Hatter asked strolling around the dimly lit room.

"Please don't call me that. And its in the gas tanks in the kitchen, enough to kill about half the city. The other gas you wanted is done too." Jonathan answered wincing slightly at the nickname Hatter used.

Hatter smiled," Frabjous, Johnny-boy, and how is Dodgy the lizard?"

Jonathan sighed and frowned, "He screamed himself out of consciousness about twenty minutes ago. One shot and hell be up and about, but its easier to gas them when they're asleep."

Hatter grabbed Ellda's braid again, pulling her down the few stairs she had managed to climb up, "Sweetie, you'll just adore what I've had Scary cook up just for you."

Ellda felt Hatter tap her nose and shuddered, " Don't keep Dodge here."

"I don't think you'll find he wants to leave all that much. He certainly doesn't like you as much as you like him. Oh, Sweet Rabbit does that shock you? Your lips are moving but no words are coming out. Perhaps he should explain? Yes I think that would be Frabjous!" Hatter said pulling Ellda to the wall opposite the stairs, "Johnny-boy! Wa-"

"Wake him up and-" Jonathan cried out and pressed a hand against the back of his neck.

"Don't. You. Ever. Dare. Interrupt. Me." Hatter snarled before continuing, "Exactly, and you had my special gas ready? Gas him with it. Where did I leave the camera? Gotham Tonight adores showing my films."

Jonathan regained his composure quickly with nothing more than a quick glare towards Hatter, "Check your pockets."

Hatter pulled a thin digital camera out of her right coat pocket, "Oh. Smile Rabbit!"

Ellda's head snapped up and she heard the camera click. A snapshot she realized. Then she heard a squeaking sound, like someone opening and oxygen tank. She doubted whatever was in the tank was oxygen however. The clinking of metal on metal, someone was undoing the straps on the surgical bed.

'Hello lizard! Sit up! Up you go, righto then. Look over here, no-no this way. Frabjous!" Hatter cooed pulling Dodge up into a sitting position, "See that girl cowering in the corner, yeah? When you see her what do you want to do?"

Dodge shook his head groggily. He slipped off the bed, leaning against it instead. He stared at Ellda trying to connect her scarred and bloody face with some memory, any memory. Hazy recollections floated around in his head. They didn't seem solid enough to be called memories exactly. He remembered her as something terrible. That didn't quite ring true though. Something about the idea felt off. Suddenly he felt angry, why should his memories be wrong? Why should he doubt himself? Because she looked pitiful curled up like she was with blood running down her face? Why ever should that mean she wasn't as terrible as his memories told him? She was the reason he wore scars from fire on his face, burnt to the bone in some places. The thought was irrational he thought at once then he was angry. It was not, it is her fault he knew it was. The memory was to hazy to remember why, but it was her fault! Her fault that he had ever needed to kill any one, every thing was her fault. She was terrible a scourge, something to be gotten rid of.

"I hate her." He said quietly, then added with more certainty, "I wish she were dead."

Hatter laughed and pressed the camera into his hands, " Bibbity bobbity boo and so on! Wish granted little lizard, sort of. I want her to live, but push her as far as you can. Be theatrical! You're going to be on television! I simply have to do this more often! Maybe mummy and daddy can turn on their little girl next, or that friend of yours! Can't remember the name at the moment….. Whatever."

Hatter giggled and climbed back up the stairs pulling Jonathan with her. In particularly good spirits as she skipped to the next set of stairs intending to be just as gracious a hostess to her other guests as well. She paused suddenly her foot on the first step. Frowning she was about to turn and go back to the basement. Then she heard soft screams that had managed to get through the ceiling and walls of the basement. She smiled and continued up the stairs.

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, and all the Kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put her back together again."

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(Okay, long time to update yeah sorry to any one who reads this. I had serious writers block and then crazy high school teachers who were keeping me from my computer)


	11. Chapter11: Just Desserts

"Really, I don't enjoy you wasting my time. Just tell me Mummy dear," Hatter asked, it wasn't begging, no, as far as she was concerned she did not beg.

Jervis, Erin, and Laine had since become desensitized to her sitting outside the locked door and badgering them. By Jervis count it had been for the past hour, by Erin's two, Laine had stopped at a half hour.

"I'll be good, and all that. or do you wan t to end up like the knave of hearts?" She passed the obituary from the Gotham Times under the door. One in particular had been circled and hearts and cartoon playing cards had been drawn idly in red marker around it.

Laine bent over wincing slightly from a wound in her side where she had been shot on that ill fated day at the bank. Skimming the article a sort of half smile came across her face.

"I was wondering if you were going to get around to killing that bastard." she muttered.

"Yes , yes every one hates Tom. The point is; answer my question."

"I don't even remember what the hell you were asking in the first place anymore." Erin said finally giving up on keeping track of the time," and really is a clock to much to ask for?"

Hatter frowned, "I asked about how you were intelligent enough to manage every thing. You obviously had some plan and I want to know."

"I believe there was a file that would explain everything on the computer itself,. I fixed the hat so you should be quite capable of finding it yourself." Jervis retorted still managing to keep his count of time.

Hatter rolled her eyes, certainly she could do that, if she liked. She would much rather pick their minds for it though. Of course with an hour and, she glanced at a clock on the wall, fifteen minutes pestering them about, she was doubtful they would tell her on their own. Seeing as the basement was currently occupied, and she didn't want to blood any where else for the moment she wasn't left with much of a choice in the matter.

"I don't think you're very good parents, sending me to go hack computers. You're not encouraging healthy habits. I'll have to kill you lot and get new ones." Hatter replied, only half sarcastic, as she pushed herself up off the floor and walked off to go find the laptop.

Erin ground her teeth against each other. She hated that girls sense of humor, if it was humor. And without being able to see her, you could never tell, which was probably why she hated it so much. In retrospect however she figured it would have been funny if it wasn't directed at her.

"Remind me what's on the computer again?" Laine asked settling on the bed with her head against the floor and her feet against the wall.

Erin smiled, several times when Ellda, being bored out of her mind, had done the same thing.

"Lets wait for it, shall we? I want to enjoy this moment."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

While her programming sifted through jeremiahs files, at what she thought was an agonizingly slow pace, Hatter tried to amuse herself as best as she could in her room. She certainly wasn't going to leave the room while that computer was out, who knew what any of those wssc girls would do to it. And she was by no means was going bring any one up to talk with her, she was not going to pretend to be interested in brands of greasepaint for the sake of 'friendship'. She had tried it once, with the little Radoe girl, Ilia? Lily? Lucy maybe, she didn't particularly care any more. It had been interesting for a while after that it had mostly been because Alice enjoyed having some one around. Hatter usually ended up getting bored by people, unless they were special, like Rabbit for instance. She wanted that one dead so badly it-, _So just kill her already! Move on to bigger prospects. _Damn those pestering little thoughts she came up with sometimes. Interrupting her whole train of thought. It did have to be admitted however that these thoughts did seem extremely rational at times. She had thought of simply killing the sweet rabbit never as something she would actually want to do. Not that she would have given much thought as to why she didn't want to just be done with it. It couldn't be that she was attached to any of them. And she, as a separate entity from Alice, had never met them in person before, so she couldn't have any past experiences to make her want them to suffer. Alice was certainly attached to them, not that Hatter approved in the least. Then again Alice, might have something to do with all of it. Hatter loathed that she might ever say it aloud but there had been a time several years before, when, dare she even think it, she had cared , at the very least, for Alice. A new personality with no experience of the world and yet memories of all of it. Lonely and unable to do anything except think about everything she did know, it had been weeks? Days? Months? Before she had finally realized there was someone else there. She had wanted someone to talk with, if only for the firsthand experience of actually being able to communicate with someone. Alice had only wanted to talk about her sister, March will come home, march is alright, march isn't dead. Hatter took what she got, she certainly didn't like it. She had only wanted a little attention, instead all that stpid clueless girl had seemed to care about was a sister who was supposed to be dead in the first place.

Some two bit psychologist up at arkham would have a field day with all of this, a report, maybe a book, a spot on the 11 o'clock news. Vengeance, schizophrenia and a confirmed case of multiple personalities. That was if they could pick through her head to get there in the first place. Hatter laughed, as if any of them could, call it vanity those who will but she had confidence that she would get their life story before they got hers.

Thinking about arkham brought her back to the laptop, how many files did the man have? What was he doing with the thing writing programs? Why in the name of all things holy couldn't they have just told her how they-

" Dammit! I'm cant believe I didn't realize what…'" Hatter reached to grab her hat and stop the scan of the Jeremiah's laptop.

A white hot pain exploded at the back of her neck and spread through her nervous system. She whimpered biting back a scream, convulsing as the pain blinded her. _Don't you dare scream! They cant know they fooled you even once! By a bloody computer virus nonetheless! They arent allowed to beat you! Don't you d-_

_Hatter lost it, she screamed. They were all good as dead. To hell with any stupid half formed sentiments she might have, she was going to kill them for this! Quickly, not to spare them a pain, but to get the hell rid of Alice's deranged little family!_

_A thousand different ways to kill them flashed through Hatters mind. She thought she heard whimpering cry of, "Hatter make it stop, it hurts!" at the back of her mind, but that could be. No her chips had been designed to perfectly for that, no Alice couldn't talk. But if that was the case then maybe she was going truly mad…. Then the pain became to much and, as they say, every thing went black_


	12. Chapter12: Lucky

Roulette hadn't always been her name. Though in a sense she had always been Roulette. The same girl with the Colt .45 revolver and a just uncanny amount of luck. Always the girl running around the back alleys waiting to rob you for the paper in your pockets. If she was going to kill you, she made it a game or Russian roulette. Gun pressed to her own forehead, a spin of the revolver , pull the trigger and nothing. Of course when she pointed the gun at you, it was another story. Just another juvenile delinquent in Gotham. Then the wssc got to her. She wasn't sure exactly why she joined. Purpose? To spit in the eye of the law? Chaos? Take your pick, it didn't matter, she joined for whatever reason. More importantly she survived it. Two years of doing exactly what she had been doing before, with grease paint and explosives. Most of the other raised in better homes, that went to school and never really saw her side of Gotham, most of them lasted only lasted a few weeks. Especially now, working for Tetch. The older girls, the ones who actually knew which end of a gun the bullet came out of, weren't used to being kept inside all the time like this. Sure there had been that one bank robbery, that was at least a week ago. The group was prone to little squabbles over anything and everything and usually ended with yet another corpse for them to clear out.

Of course they _were _expendable, there _would_ be another one of them if they died. In Tetch's opinion anyway, now there was something they could agree on. Get rid of Tetch and everything goes back to normal. The 'real' wssc members could go back to kidnapping politicians and blowing the city up. The less hardcore girls could go around with spray paint and sharpies to deface public property. And all the other girls who hadn't really known what they were getting themselves into, could go home. So no one was going to come running up the stairs when the screaming started. They heard a door slam open upstairs and rapid footsteps.

Roulette got up from the mass of huddled chattering girls on the floor and started walking around examining some chemicals that doctor had left lying around.

"Wach-you doin?" one of the girls from some southern state she remembered, a damn good shot too.

She smirked, pouring the content of a few bottles across the floor, "Leaving in style, this is how we do business in New York. If you aren't going to help get out. Go home for all I care, probably better for you than this."

They all lingered for a moment wondering if she was just waiting to shoot them when they got up. When they all realized she was serious, about half of them got up and bolted. A few others thought about it for a while before leaving. In a matter of minutes what had been a small army was a few scattered girls whose only real reason for staying was that they had nothing to go back to.

Roulette nodded, " Empty the rest of the chemicals, and whatever you want to keep take it. We're blowing this joint."

They remaining girls jumped up and started spreading the chemicals throughout the first story of the house. Roulette opened the chamber of her gun and took out a couple of bullets so that there was only one. Stowing the leftover bullets in a pocket she spun the revolver idly, but with a somber reverence that suggested a ritualistic quality to the simple act. The last bottle was emptied and the other girls were standing looking at her expectantly. Roulette looked at them for a moment, none of them were the old group of vagabond children from New York. She doubted most of them were even from Gotham. It was an interesting feeling, she decided, to be completely in charge. Yeah, she could get used to this.

"Find him don't go together, if you don't know where to go, figure it out. I'll catch up," she told them picking a cigarette lighter up off the table where the chemicals had been.

The other girls cleared out and Roulette lingered for a moment flicking the lighter on and off. Then she pressed the barrel of the revolver to her forehead and pulled the trigger. Nothing, just the empty sound reverberating in one of the blank chambers. What luck, she smiled and relit the lighter tossing it casually on the floor in front of her. The chemicals ignited quickly and the room burst into flames. Roulette ran out onto the street ready to start doing real work for the Joker again. Before she got very far she caught and odor lingering in the air. Sharp and metallic, blood. The buildings cast obscuring shadows even in the broad daylight, but just into one of the alley ways she saw a fallen body. Mob snipers most likely, Moroni no doubt, getting back at the Joker and taking out Tetch, if she got through the fire in one shot.

Roulette frowned and clenched her teeth, "last one standing, lucky me."

She didn't even hear the crack of a gun before the bullet hit her.

**(Toffeerose, sweet rabbit is Hatters nickname for Ellda)**


	13. Chapter13: A Drop in The Bucket

The heat was absolutely sweltering. That was the first thing Dodge thought of. How hot it was. Then he wondered why his hands felt sticky. He stood up and his head spun, through blurry eyes he saw the room tilt. Some one was speaking in little half sentences behind him. Dodge wondered again why it was so hot as his vision cleared and he looked at his hands. The skin was deep maroon with blood. He heard the speaking behind him again and spun around. A figure was huddled in a corner clutching something at its stomach.

"March!" fragmented memories pushed at the surface of his mind but Dodge pushed them away, there would be time to remember later, he ran to his sister.

Dodge tried to lift her into a sitting position and she whimpered making a weak effort to push him away. When she moved her hand dodge saw what she had been holding at her stomach. The hilt of a knife protruded from a the center of a large stain on the front of her clothes.

"Oh god, I'm sorry March,"He didn't know why but he felt the need to hear the words, "I didn't mean to."

Everything is suddenly apparent, the memories are not a flood that sends the mind reeling with vertigo and shock. They are simply there brought up if called upon and nonexistent the rest of the time. He remembers the gas and then and overwhelming feeling of hatred needing only someone clever enough o guide him to a subject to take it out upon. He could remember how she screamed and the little gasp she had made when he had shoved the knife into her stomach. The stain leaks off Ellda's clothing and into a puddle on the floor. She's going to bleed out before he can ever get her to a hospital.

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I can feel life flashing by me, like rewinding a video tape, if anyone still uses them. I cant see it but the feel the sound all of it comes back and every time I know where I am. The hospital, how long ago? I don't know, it was right after the courthouse, but I don't know how long ago that was. Then the court, and the Asylum. Some how I'm still connected to reality, I can hear Dodge telling me something, 'quick, like a band aid," I think. At the same time Colorful is visiting at my cell talking, sort of rambling. Two years go by in a flash every day was the same, nothing worth remembering there. I'm running and its night, cool wind and warm blood all to myself every night. I'd be lying if I said I was just to stop the burning, it was fun. Circus freak contorting, cart wheeling the cops couldn't get me. I felt absolutely invincible.

Then there's greasepaint and lipstick and hair dye. And he's leading me away just like every other girl, the only difference is they didn't care. I feel Dodge pull my fingers away and yank out the knife in one swift motion but it doesn't quite register as I continue with the memories. And I can see again, oh I'd forgotten what it all looked like. But this, I don't want to see this. That fire, the first terrible fire, why couldn't she have stayed away from the matches? I told her not to I did, but I was secretly so very pleased that I could be her and not me. Then I'm just a child again hating the man my mother married and hating her for marrying him. I'm the impudent little troublemaker and Alice always does what she's told, she gets away with bruises and helps me learn to set broken bones. Every time he pressed my hand against the cook top every match shoved in my mouth, punishments for I don't even remember what anymore. I never bought into heaven and hell much, but if they exist step daddy will be waiting for me in hell. I'm getting younger, the first time Tom hit me, the first time he yelled.

Cool metal pressed against my throat. Dodge pressing the same blade he took out of my stomach against my neck. He means it in mercy and I know that he does. To end it quickly instead of leaving me to bleed out. But wait, not yet please Dodge. Let me die remembering me and Alice and mom and dad. Let me be happy before I have to go to wherever people like me go. Wait just a moment longer please, no-

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That thing he leaves lying on the floor of a building he's only just realized is burning, its not his sister. It's not Circus Freak, or Song or Ellda Radoe, or March Tetch or any other name she ever went by. Any of the names that her friend parent and brother call out while they run, the mother, in desperation, carrying the body of the daughter she can find screaming for the other to come. Her friend knows as soon as she sees the brother, that screaming will not help. The father tries to console the mother and wipe away her tears. It doesn't matter that she left him, changed her name got remarried because she didn't want the scorn of having known him, they mourn together. That thing that the house falls in upon so that it is burnt to a cinder is not really what they mourn for. That thing is the empty shell of what they mourn for. A body with her scars and her bind eyes and her hair, but it isn't her. She isn't where she can hear her mother crying and come running back wondering what is wrong.

I'm not going to pretend to know where she is, I'm not going to say she didn't just dissipate at the moment her throat was slit. But I will say that if she still exists in some way or form then she's with the Ted Bundy's, Ed Giens and Charles Mansons of the universe. And wherever they are, I will say she will never know how her mother met her father, what her brother grew up to be how the best friend she ever had died and she will never quite be able to remember the feeling of innocent contentment. The simple feeling of family when she was such a very young child with her parents and her sister before she was any one other than completely and undeniably herself.

Years will pass, they always do, her mother who lost her once already will move on with life like she did before. Her father, has no anchor in reality and will simply slip back into the peaceful world he created within his own mind. Her sister will never be strong enough to truly be Alice she'll always need the Hatter. Hatter regrets nothing, and she never will. The friend will move on like the mother doing what she always did, she too has lost her once before. The brother will never quite be the same for the one night he saw Her Gotham, but neither will he ever be quite able to find the warehouse again. He cannot, no matter how hard he tries ever be Silence without Song. He occasionally fancies that some other group of kids will find it someday and take up where Ellda left off. That however is a story for a different author. The world in general remains much unchanged by her death or her life as it were. It is but a drop in the bucket. Theses six people though have been changed utterly by her presence, and if there is one thing they all can agree on it is that not one of them meant for the story to end this way.


End file.
